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The week in pictures

Scotch whisky brand Talisker kicked off this year’s Atlantic rowing challenge with a school for rowers and a gathering of explorers and ocean enthusiasts.

The Talisker Atlantic Challenge will see more than 100 rowers travel 3,000 miles from the Canary Islands to Antigua.

At the starting line of this year’s expedition, Talisker hosted a gathering of outdoor adventurers, explorers, rowers and ocean enthusiasts including British adventurer James Aiken, actor Matt Smith and endurance athlete Ross Edgely.

During the gathering, Talisker created a remote island wilderness experience where whisky cocktails were served alongside freshly-foraged food.

American rapper Future and Tequila brand 1800 recruited seven up-and-coming hip-hop artists to appear on the second instalment in its music project, 1800 Seconds.

Featuring Aurora Anthony, Herion Young, Juiicy2xS, Lihtz, Seddy Hendrinx, Shaun Sloan and Test, 1800 Seconds Vol 2 saw each artist write and release a new track.

Executive production for each song came from Nick Papamitrou and Future appeared on a number of tracks on the album. The album is available now across music streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.

London bar and restaurant 100 Wardour St has been transformed into an Alpine ski lodge for the festive season, serving up a host of wintry cocktails.

The Soho drinking den now boasts a “cosy, après-ski vibe”, where drinkers can sample festive cocktails such as On the Slopes (pictured), made with Möet & Chandon Impérial, roasted strawberry purée and dried strawberry, and the Snowed Under, which combines Tanqueray export, Möet & Chandon Impérial, lavender syrup, lemon juice and icing sugar.

Manchester cocktail bar and restaurant Three Little Words has also created a selection of Christmassy cocktails to welcome the festive period.

Drinkers at the bar can sample St Nick’s Ruin, which combines Manchester Gin, Port, chocolate bitters, lemon, vanilla, raspberries and blueberries, and the Mistletoe & Wine, made with mulled wine syrup, Dark Matter spiced rum, Amaro Montenegro, creole bitters, apple, lemon and aquafaba.

Bacardi-owned Grey Goose Vodka and travel operator Virgin Atlantic have launched a menu of seasonal cocktails at the airline’s Heathrow clubhouse.

Travellers passing through the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in Heathrow’s Terminal 3 can sample a complimentary menu of specially created holiday cocktails, including the Holiday Mule, which is made with Grey Goose vodka, lime juice and ginger beer with a rosemary garnish, and the brand’s signature Espresso Martini, which combines Grey Goose La Vanille, coffee liqueur, fresh coffee and sugar.

Campbeltown Scotch whisky distiller Glen Scotia has raised more than £10,000 (US$13,000) for Machrihanish golf club in Scotland, which was struck by a fire last year.

The blaze, which broke out on 19 December 2018, destroyed Machrihanish’s historic clubhouse. It is set to be replaced with a new purpose-built facility, subject to planning consent.

Glen Scotia donated a single cask to aid the golf club’s charity campaign. The cask produced 196 bottles of single malt Scotch whisky, which have now sold out and raised more than £10,000 in doing so.

Whyte & Mackay partnered with Dufry travel retail to launch its Wildcat Gin brand in the channel this week, celebrating the launch with the opening of its Wildcat’s Temptation Hotel activation.

The travel retail activation opened at World Duty Free’s main store in London Heathrow Terminal 5. Visitors will be greeted by a “flamboyant” concierge, who will invite travellers to sample the brand’s Wildcat Bramble or the Wildcat & Tonic signature serves.

During the launch of the activation, Wildcat Gin hosted a special tasting session with drag queen Johnny Bones.

The Beaufort Bar at London’s Savoy Hotel named Enzo Sigaut its new bar manager this week, taking over from Joe Harper.

Originally from the south of France, Sigaut has previously held positions at modern European restaurant Sketch, St James Bar at London hotel Sofitel St James, and The Ivy Pool Club in Sydney.

Sigaut will work alongside head bartender Elon Soddu at the Beaufort Bar. The bar said he would bring a “passionate eye for detail, relentless consistency and wealth of experience in the high-end hospitality industry” to the new role.

Batched cocktail maker Tails Cocktails is hoping to support workers across the hospitality industry throughout the festive period with its Bartender SOS service.

Bartender SOS, which supports overrun staff across the hospitality industry, will this year thank on-trade staff for their work with a competition to win a £250 (US$325) bar tab.

Open exclusively to those working in hospitality, prospective entrants must follow the @tailscocktails account on Instagram and tag the three colleagues or friends that they would share the prize with on the competition page. Tails will announce the winner of the contest on 2 January.

Italian vermouth maker Martini has created a collection of Negroni-inspired chocolate truffles in collaboration with British chocolatier Paul A Young.

Developed with the Martini Riserva Speciale range, the two recipes take inspiration from the classic Negroni cocktail. The Martini Rubino Negroni Truffle uses Brazilian dark chocolate ganache while the Martini Ambrato Negroni Truffle is made with white chocolate ganache.

Bacardi-owned gin brand Bombay Sapphire partnered with flower retailer Floom to create the Bombay Sapphire Garnish Wreath.

The festive wreath has been designed to include a selection of garnishes for seasonal cocktails, such a cinnamon and dried citrus fruits.

The Bombay Sapphire Garnish Wreath is available on Floom.com for £50 (US$65) and comes with a 350ml bottle of the brand’s gin along with a selection of festive cocktail recipes.

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